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Brian A. Boone

Dr. Brian Boone, MD is a surgeon scientist with expertise in pancreatic cancer.  His clinical focus is on minimally invasive, robotic pancreatectomy and translational research focus on the immune response to pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

The sphere of interest:  

Dr. Boone’s research interests span basic science, translational and clinical research projects to improve our understanding of the pancreatic cancer pathobiology and improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with this disease.  Broadly, his research focuses on the inflammatory and immune response to pancreatic cancer and its associated treatments.  Specifically, Dr. Boone’s lab studies the role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer.  Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) occur when activated neutrophils expel their intracellular contents including DNA, histones, granules and other components into the extracellular space, tumor, or circulation.  We have identified a critical role of NETs in pancreatic cancer progression and hypercoagulability.  The components released from NETs promote pancreatic tumor microenvironment fibrosis which limits efficacy of treatment and prevents an effective immune response.  NETs released in the circulation promote establishment of metastatic tumor deposits. NETs are also a critical component of the inflammatory and immune response to surgery in cancer patients, thus we are investigating how these responses impact long term cancer associated outcomes.  

Dr. Boone is teaming with the IMMR to better understand changes in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment as a result of NETs. Dr. Boone is also very interested in future opportunities for clinical application of this technology.

Selected publications:

  • Miller-Ocuin JL, Liang X, Boone BA, Doerfler WR, Singhi AD, Tang D, Kang R, Lotze MT, Zeh HJ.  Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) DNA activates stroma, enhancing pancreatic tumor growth.  Oncoimmunology.  Jun 11 2019;8(9):e1605822.

  • Boone BA, Murthy P, Miller-Ocuin JL, Liang X, Russell KL, Loughran P, Gawaz M, Lotze MT, Zeh HJ.  The platelet NLRP3 inflammasome is upregulated in a murine model of pancreatic cancer and promotes platelet aggregation and tumor growth.  Ann Hematol. Jul 2019;98(7):1603-1610

  • Boone BA, Murthy P, Miller-Ocuin J, Doerfler WR, Ellis JT, Liang X, Ross MA, Wallace CT, Sperry JL, Lotze MT, Neal MD, Zeh HJ.  Chloroquine Reduces Hypercoagulability in Pancreatic Cancer through Inhibition of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps.  BMC Cancer.  2018 Jun 22; 18(1):678.

  • Boone BA, Orlichenko L, Schapiro N, Loughran P, Gianfrate G, Ellis J, Singhi A, Kang R, Tang D, Lotze MT, Zeh HJ.  The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) Enhances Autophagy and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Gene Ther. 2015 Jun;22(6):326-34.

  • Snoderly H, Boone BA, Bennewitz M.  Neutrophil extracellular traps in breast cancer and beyond: Current perspectives on NET stimuli, thrombosis and metastasis, and clinical utility for diagnosis and treatment.  Breast Cancer Research. 2019 Dec 18;21(1):145.

  • Murthy P, Zenati MS, Abbas AI, Reiser CJ, Bahary N, Lotze MT, Zeh HJ, Zureikat AH, Boone BA.  Prognostic Value of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) After Neoadjuvant Therapy for Patients with Resected Pancreatic Cancer.  Ann Surg Onc.  2020 Mar;27(3):898-906.